Gravity-carrier switch.



H. L. FISCHER & J. W. DAHLGREN.

GRAVITY CARRIER SWITCH.

APYLIG'ATIOII FILED 001. 12, 1907.

Patented Aug.26,1913.

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H. L. FISCHER & J.. W. DAHLGREN GRAVITY CARRIER SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 001212, 1907.

I 1,071,636. Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. L. FISCHER & J. W. DAHLGREN.

GRAVITY CARRIER SWITCH.

APPLIGATION FILED OUT. 12, 1907.

1,071,636, Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,"How.ann L. FISCHER and JOHN W. Danncnnn, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gravity-Carrier Switches, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in gravity carrier switches and has for its ob- 'ect a switch for use in connection with gravlty carriers which is adapted. to be thrown into and out of operation for the purpose of conveying articles of merchandise by gravity from a main carrier to a branch carrier.

Among further objects are simplicity of construction, effectiveness in use, and means for throwing the switch into and out of operation from a station remote from said I switch.

In the accompanying drawings forming art of this-speclfication, Figure 1 is a plan view of our invention showing a switch between amain gravity carrier and a branch gravity carrier; Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line X-X of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is another section of Fig. 1 taken on the line YY; Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a system of gravity carriers employing our improved switch; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the operating mechanism for in the direction of the arrow indicated. The

' branch gravity carrier is arranged substantially at right angles to the main carrier, although it can be placed at any angle desired. Between the main carrier and the branch carrier isour improved gravity carrier switch C.

The main and branch carriers consist of i side-rails 2 and 3- which are spaced apart by transverse bars 4 and braced by stay rods 4 to-hol-d the rails rigidly apart. Journaled upon the inner faces of these rails by means of'stud bolts '5 are longitudinal series of anti-friction wheels 6 which run upon ball bearings (not shown) between said parts in Application filed October 12, 1907. Serial No. 397,229. Y

the usual manner. A short series of antifrlction wheels on the outer rail 2 of the mam gravity carrier adjoining the outer rall 7 of the switch are journaled said stud bolts upon the outer face of said. rail as shown.

The switch C comprises. a pair of rails '7 and 8 which are equally spaced apart by transverse rods 9 and curved as sho'wnbetween the rails of the main gravity carrier and the ends of the rails of'the branch gravity carrier. ,Eachspace rod 9 is pivoted at one end by a ball and socket joint 9 to the rail 8 and rigidly secured'at the other end to the rail 7 by means of lock nuts 9". Upon the outer faces of the rails 7 and 8 are series of anti-friction wheels 10 whlch are journaled upon stud bolts 11 by means of ball bearings (not shown) in the usual manner. The inner rail is secured at its ends to the rail 3 ofthe main carrier and branch carrier by means of bolts 12 so that the anti-friction wheels thereon form a contmuous carrying surface between the main and branch carrier. The outer rail 7 has one end pivotally secured to one of the transverses ace bars 4 of the main carrier by means 0 the pivot bolt 13 and its other end free to be raised and lowered and guided in its movement in the standard 14. When in elevated position the outer rail 7 has the ortion intermediate of its ends raised with its anti-friction wheels above the level of the anti-friction wheels of: the rail 3 of the main'carrierso that articles approachingthe switch on the main carrier Wlll be carried by said curve onto the branch carrier.

The means for raising and lowering the outer rail of-the switch consists of a longitudinal shift rod 15 which slides back and forth in vertical guides 16 below the switch. These guides are bolted or otherwise fastened to the floor by means of the bolts 17 and are pressed together by means of the rod 18. Below the lower edge of the shift rod in the guides are anti-friction wheels 19 which reduce the friction between the shift rod and said guides. Upon the inner face of the outer rail 7 of the switch are a pair of anti-friction rollers 20 which are suitably journaled upon stud bolts 21 extending into said rail. These wheels run upon the upper edge of the shift rod and serve to support the outer rail 7 of the switch. The upper edge of the shift rod iio is formed with a pairof inclined edges 22 extending together in one direction to elerate the outer rail of the switch when the shift rod is thrown forward and to allow the outer rail of the switch'to lower when the shift rod is reversed. The shift rod is moved forward and backward by means of a pivoted handle 39 cotiperating with a. toothed segment 23' and interlocked therewith by means of the dog 24. The handle 39 is pivotally connected to the shift rod by the switch and pass onto the branch carto the arm 33 of the bell cran men In Fig. 5 we have shown a plurality of switches used in connection with our main carrier and connecting with branch carriers. In this construction as in the const-ruction already described A denotes the main carrier, B the branch carriers and C the switches between the main carriers and the branch carriers. These switches are arranged to be operated from a single point and are shifted backward and forward by means of a bell crank lever 30 pivoted upon a standard 31 adjoining each switch. The link 25 of the shift rod is pivoted to one arm of the bell crank lever and a cable 32 is attached to the arm of said lever and to The means for returning the switches to lowered position and throwing them out of operation consists of a sprin 35 attached lever and to a fixed support 36 adjoining said arm. In this manner the switches are returned to Fig. 5.

It is obvious that the angle of inclination I of the main, branch and swltch'carriers may be reversed without departin from the spirit of this invention and of t e following claims.

In accordance with the patent statutes, we have described the principle of operation of our invention, together with the apparatus which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but we desire to have ivoted it understood that theapparatns shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth, within the scope of the following claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to ters Patent, is v 1. A gravity carrier, comprising, in combination, a pair of carriers and a carrier switch between them, all of said parts being inclined 1n the general direction of run of the material to be carried thereon, said switch consisting of outer and inner rails,-

a series of antlfriction wheels or rollers 'ournaled upon said rails, onc of said rails eing stationary and the other movable up and down, and a shift adjacent said movable rail adapted to raise and lower it into and out of operation, for the purposes specified.

2. A gravity carrier system, comprising, in combination, a main gravity carrier, a plurality of branch gravity carriers, and a gravity carrier switch for each of said branch carriers, all of said parts being inclined in the general direction of run of the material to be carried thereon; said gravity carrier switch comprising outer and inner curved rails, series of antifriction wheels or rollers journaled upon said rails, the outer rail being pivotally mounted to swing up and down and the inner rail stationary, and a shift adjacent the outer rail for rais- -ing and lowering it into and out of operation, for the purposes specified.

3. A gravlty carrler, compnsing, in .combination, a pair of carrlersand a carrier protect by Let switch between them, all of said parts being inclined in the general direction of run of,

the material to be carried thereon, said switch consisting of outer and inner rails, a series of antlfriction wheels or rollers journaled upon said rails, one of said rails being pivoted to swing up and down and the other immovable, a shift arranged to raise and lower 'said pivoted rail, and means for operating said shift, for the purposes specified. a i

4;. A gravity carriervsystem, comprising, in combination, a main gravity carrier, a plurality of branch gravity carriers, a gravity carrier switch for each of said branch carriers, all of said parts being inclined in the general direction of run of the material to be carried thereon; said gravity carrier switch comprising outer and inner curved rails, series of antlfriction wheels or rollers journaled upon said rails, the outer rail being movable up and down and the inner rail immovable, and a shift adjacent the outer rail for raising and lowering it into and out of operation, and a plurality 5. In a gravity carrier system, a pair of side rails spaced apart, a series of antifriction wheels or rolls mounted upon said rails and a spacing rod between said rails, one end of said rod being ivoted to one of said rails and immovably ed to the other.

6. Apparatus of the class set forth, comprising, a main gravity carrier, a branch gravity carrier, and a avity carrier switch, all of said parts being lnclined in the general direction of the run of the material to be carried thereon; said gravity carrier switch consisting of outer and inner curved rails, series of anti-friction wheels journaled upon HOWARD L. FISCHER. JOHN W. DAHLGREN.

Witnesses: R. A. Flscmm, F. G. BRADEURY. 

